Raw Materials
The body, cab, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, due to its tremendous strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are usually bought as finished products and the lift truck manufacturer installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled bought products consist of the transmission, seat, axles, engine, wheels, hoses and tires, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Most often, some materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the machine is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that is most standard of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a narrow and long design which has a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set situated towards the rear of the equipment. The boom portion of the model is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is elevated several feet above the level of the frame. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Typically, the cab's bottom half is low and situated between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the transmission and the engine are mounted in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market these days, there are numerous options offered. Some models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Several models utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for example, this is used when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machine are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Another common design feature includes fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable accurate load positioning.